Habeas Corpus
by dreamwithinadream262
Summary: And that was the first time Serendipity met Mihael Keehl...and unfortunately enough for her, it wouldn't be the last time either...But she didn't know that yet. In which a law student becomes entangled in the fallout of Kira without her consent. OC
1. Chapter 1

**Summary: And that was the first time Serendipity met Mihael Keehl...and unfortunately enough for her, it wouldn't be the last time either...But she didn't know that yet. In which a law student becomes entangled in the fallout of Kira without her consent. OC.**

 **Here's some background information for timeline's sake.**

 **So, this story starts just approximately 4 days after Light and L meet at the entrance exam, but since they're not going to be relevant until later in this story- here's what you truly need to know.**

 **Mello and Matt, and Serendipity (OC) are around 14-15 years old- but I'm going to round up and say 15 because I could care less about the specifics- but don't worry though, they won't stay that young for long. I aged Mello and Matt up because tbh having 13 year old's in this scene didn't seem to be that great...**

 **Also, I apologize in advance if this chapter is a little confusing, as admittedly I've been trying to get back into writing so forgive the rustiness and redundancies...and typos. I've reread this about 20 times but I doubt I've caught all of them.**

 **Thanks for reading, and enjoy!**

* * *

 _January 21st, 2004_ _11:15 P.M_

* * *

Throwing the hood of her jacket up, Serendipity cursed when she heard the unmistakable rumbling of thunder overhead. She glanced down at her hastily thrown on outfit, and frowned distastefully, wishing she'd picked something more weather-appropriate. The green hoodie barely shielded her from the elements now...and she highly doubted it would benefit her soaked.

 _Too late now._ She thought, a grimace flashing across her face in the dim lighting. Checking her watch for the thousandth time, she released a shaky, relieved laugh when she saw she'd only been gone twenty minutes. Maybe they haven't noticed yet… But the thought was to convince herself lest her short resolve crumbled and she found herself hiking it back to her family's ritzy apartment.

The phone in her back pocket was silent...or at least for now- so it was safe to assume her parents hadn't discovered her absence yet. Because, if, -when they did...she'd be so dead.

That is, if the city didn't kill her first.

The eerily quiet street seemed increasingly menacing as she passed under a flickering streetlamp, - a stark contrast from its appearance during the day. Perhaps that was more a result of her overactive imagination than reality...but it was night afterall. A whole different kind of people roamed the city at this time, mostly workers unfortunate enough to hold the infamous graveyard shift, but night was also the domain to criminal activities. Lots of criminal activities.

She didn't have to be a Senator's daughter to realize that. Hell, she didn't even have to be from the city to realize that...But she did have to be a Senator's daughter to get into the fight that resulted in this midnight escapade.

Perhaps it was spite, but the reality was nothing more than adolescent rebellion. She hadn't meant to sound ungrateful for the proposal of a prospective family "vacation"- but it was just a convenient name for "tagging along on Dad's business trips." ...And if there was one thing Serendipity hated more than her accursed name, it was these so called "family vacations."

The paparazzi had foiled most, if not all of her family's attempts at relaxing, and she wasn't ready for another tabloid article about her 'summer beach body' or lack thereof. The press on the other hand, wasn't as shameless to defame her family for their appearances...but harshly criticized any vacation taken by her father. As if most of his work problems weren't caused by their inaccurate articles in the first place. Idiots. All of them.

Venturing out of the safety of their apartment was a rash, prideful act of independent defiance on her part, but she wasn't backing out now. No-Not when she was five minutes away from her destination.

"Defiance" She muttered under her breath, staring at her sneakers as they ambled her forwards, "This hardly counts."

Air. That's all she'd wanted honestly. Regrettably, confrontation wasn't a matter she handled well, and as much as she loved her family- sometimes they all just felt so suffocating. After this night's argument she just needed to clear her head, and maybe then she'd be able to figure out a way to worm herself out of this prospective 'vacation'-

...Or at least hopefully.

Snapped out of her thoughts, Serendipity coughed as she neared the comforting, overbearing lights of the convenience store. Was she developing a cold? With her luck, probably. Pulling her hood closer to her body, she suppressed another cough and ducked into the building. Didn't need anybody recognizing her now- especially at this time of night.

Entering the corner store, she noted three men arguing quietly at the cash register. Their eyes turned to glance at her with mild interest momentarily- but their gazes drifted to each other soon after. She half expected someone to glance up again in a double-take, but that moment never came. To them, she realized, she was just another bastard child of their wretched city- and because of that, they couldn't care less about her presence, or as to the reason why she was breaking curfew.

The thought was sadly relieving.

Also was the fact that most normal people didn't pay much attention to local politics to know who she was.

The men looked like they had much more important things to think about anyways, judging by their hushed whispers and cryptic glances. The cashier, a man seeming to be in his early forties looked agitated: brows creased in frustration as their conversation continued on, his clipped tone hinting at obvious annoyance. If they caught unto his anger the two other men didn't show it- continuing on unaffected with terse statements.

She caught snippets of their conversation as she slipped by.

"-pushed around by an insolent brat."

"-No respect."

"Who does he think he is?"

"Boss says we gotta do something-"

Wonder what that's all about. Serendipity thought, but didn't dare voice it aloud. Minding your own business was the number one rule of surviving the nightlife around here, and she wasn't about to compromise her safety because of a little curiosity- though admittedly, she was kind of curious as to their flavor of criminal activity. Maybe this place was a drug front? Or perhaps the owner preferred a more sinister type of criminality...

Whatever- wasn't like she was going to try to stay to figure that one out. For now, she just had to focus on the task on hand. She had come with a purpose after all (even though that purpose was rather trivial.) A coke and a bag of chips, those were the targets at hand. Drug front of not food was food, and if she minded her own business, her conscience wouldn't change that perspective.

The bell on the door chimed behind her, signaling a new customer, but she paid them no heed- and darted down the nearest aisle.

Five minutes, and five more shouts from the cash register later, Serendipity was humming along to a popular song on the radio, a coke and three bags of chips in hand. She briefly wondered if the ten dollar bill in her coat pocket would cover it all, (you never knew with taxes)- but that was the least of her worries. The men from before had only delved further into their heated conversation, and something told her that interrupting them would not be a good idea.

Not a good idea at all.

So, she amended to waiting- or at least until the other guy left.

Leaning on a promotional display for the next mediocre sugary snack, she readjusted the items in her hands and scanned the store. Subtlety glancing back to the front entrance, she noted the almost imperceptible outline of a gun in one of the man's pants and gulped. Given the present situation and the way the men didn't seem like they were going to leave anytime soon, and their seemingly escalating anger and killing-intent, the thought of abandoning this snack conquest seemed like a favorable idea.

Spinning around on her heels, Serendipity prepared to do just that, but she hadn't expected the presence of another person directly behind her. The shock sent her tumbling to the ground in an ungraceful heap, hood, amongst other items falling in the process.

The person- the boy she observed from the floor, simply gave a dry look in her direction, blonde locks escaping from his own black hood. His piercing blue eyes froze her to the spot, but it wasn't because of the severe stare he was giving her. No, his eyes- they swirled with ambition, intelligence...but lacked something crucial...something like...innocence.

"Uh-you alright there?" He asked, scrutinizing her, but she barely heard him.

His voice was deep, she noted, but betrayed youth nonetheless.

"Um…well..." she almost forgot to be angry, and blushed in embarrassment, eyes darting from his face to the many...chocolate bars?- he held. "I'm, ah, fine." Standing up, she spied the news headline on the dingy television in the corner. Behind her, it caught the attention of another certain teen as well. "But he's not…"

Reading the headline, she immediately felt sick.

The man on the screen looked excited, and from her experiences with the media, she knew that meant something bad had happened.

He relayed:

"Breaking News coming in right now! Authorities flocked to the Pennsylvania State Penitentiary after an inmate was found dead under mysterious circumstances. The inmate's full name has not been released but sources tell us that he was found to have died due to a heart attack. Witnesses speculate the identity of the victim to be the perpetrator of the LABB Murder Cases of 2002," Behind her, the boy froze at the mention of this name, "and his death to be connected to the recent phenomenon in Japan regarding the debated figure of KIRA...whether or not benevolent or malevolent figures are at play, citizens will be happy to know that-"

She turned away from the screen with a frown on her face and stopped listening. Kira. That name had been in the news a lot recently. On talk shows, internet forums...it seemed the legend from Japan had been turning the world upside-down nowadays. At first, she'd thought it was just some elaborate hoax, or conspiracy theory like when people speculated about the Freemasons or Illuminati...except this one had stayed around for awhile instead of blowing over like the rest. Her friends talked about it, and her teachers led class discussions about the ethics of it…

It was a polarizing subject, and not in a good way.

Serendipity didn't like to choose sides, she was only fifteen for God's sake and didn't know much about herself or her convictions but- other people were willing to draw lines in the sand, and it was dividing everyone into sides that were rather unsettling.

When her father had brought it up at the dinner table and asked her opinion, it was the last straw. In fact, that was the conversation that had brought her to the store in the first place...because the conference her father was going to- the family vacation she was oh-so-loathing to go on, was a meeting regarding the threat of KIRA.

She really couldn't escape the name, and it was getting old...fast, like a song being overplayed on the radio all she heard was "Kira this…" and "Kira that…"

The sounding of the News Station jingle brought her back to reality.

"I hate Kira…" She muttered under her breath, but not quietly enough.

"That son of a bitch..." The guy behind her said at the same time. She looked back at him, perplexed for a moment- his glower at the screen was unwavering. If she didn't know any better, she would've guessed with that look, that he had some personal vendetta against the so-called "mysterious figure."

"And I thought I was the only one who hadn't jumped on the whole Kira bandwagon." she sardonically drawled.

He glanced at her momentarily, a steely look in his eyes easily portrayed he was conflicted. This guy obviously wore his heart on his sleeve. He appeared almost ready to answer, but something out of the corner of his eye caught his attention- and the atmosphere changed from charged to urgent FAST.

Serendipity didn't have time to react when the boy's body crashed down on her. She raised her fists and prepared for righteous anger when-

 _BANG! BANG! BANG!_

Bullets whizzed overhead where they had just been standing, and her heart subsequently skipped more than one beat. The arm around her urgently pushed her body forward, although her mind failed to catch up with the situation.

"Wha-wha-what just happened?!"

Her line of sight first latched unto the man next to the counter.

The glint of the gun in the light. The undisturbed expression on his face, sprayed with blood splatter. Her eyes trailed from the tip of his gun to the man next to the counter, who looked downright mortified...and then her eyes locked on the target.

And then, she saw it.

Blood. Blood everywhere.

In front of the teenagers, the of of the men she'd seen conversing angrily at the counter was now reduced to a statistic of the city's 'Victims of gun violence," his brains painting a morbid picture along the lottery machine. His almost headless body crumpled to the ground and dropped like a dumbbell. When it finally reached the floor with a resounding thud, she officially started to panic.

Three thoughts flew through her brain.

I- I _just almost died._

 _That could've been me._

and

 _Did- did I just witnessed a murder?_

At the cash register, the man with the gun simply glared at the body on the ground with mild disdain, as if he had just swatted a fly, and not blown somebody away.

He cast a glance over to the other thug, who, reacting the most normal out of everyone looked as if he was about to piss himself if the guy didn't kill him first.

The killer stepped forward.

"We have no place for disloyalty, hear?"

 _What._

"U-understood."

"Good. Now get out before I change my mind about letting you live."

The man at the end of the barrel didn't need to be told twice and ran out faster than the speed of sound.

 _Oh great._ Serendipity cringed. She had gotten herself stuck watching mafia drama unfold right in front of her eyes!

"We're so going to die!" She frantically whispered as she recalled all the headlines of what usually happened to the witnesses of these events. If she was lucky she'd just eat a bullet.

Instead of rightfully acting scared, the boy behind her only seemed concentrated, and also...annoyed?

"And I really wanted those chocolate bars too…"

 _You've got to be kidding me._

Somebody had skewed priorities.

"Listen-" he whispered tersely. "Just follow my lead- and be quiet."

She couldn't believe her ears.

"Are you crazy- you're going to get yourself killed!"

"Not likely." He almost seemed amused by her objection. When she didn't budge, his amused expression melted into a deadpan stare.

"Would you rather stay here like a sitting duck?"

No. Not exactly.

It seemed to prove his point.

Her legs, despite the shock, started to move with his, although her heart felt like it was going to give out right then and there.

Each step forward on the linoleum tiles felt too loud, too obvious.

 _Oh my god, oh my god, oh god…_

Slowly inching up the aisle, she took a moment to observe the boy who had admittedly and surprisingly taken the lead. His determined and calculated expression quelled some of the anxiety in her mind, but when she found herself scrutinizing his clothing- internal alarm bells started to go off.

Now, it wasn't exactly his style of clothing that tipped her off to something. He was wearing all black, which wasn't in itself suspicious...but the clothes as she could tell we're obviously expensive- way too expensive to be wearing in this part of town.

What was a guy like this doing here?

That's when she also noticed the gun tucked into the waistband of his pants. Thoughts of the trust she'd foolishly placed in him seemed like a bad idea. How stupid could she have been putting her life in the hands of a stranger? Hopefully, it was a good calculated risk.

A hand crept on her shoulder, and she found herself staring into the boy's crystal blue eyes. They had reached the end of the aisle, and now it was time to act. Would they run for the door? No, that was too risky and obvious.

She hoped he had a really good plan.

"Just play along."

And then, without any inclination or time to prepare, Serendipity found herself shoved harshly to the ground. When she reached the floor, she could see her reflection in the tiles...she could see blood, but most importantly shoes. The Killer's shoes.

Thrown to the wolves.

"Yo- Mark, found this one hiding in the corner." The familiar voice of the boy yelled, almost bored behind her.

Instant betrayal.

A million and one questions began to surface in her mind, each more confusing than the last.

 _They know each other? No- that can't be, wait. Was he just fooling me this entire time?_

The murderer only cast her a dry, apathetic look, as if she was a gnat he was too lazy to step on, and raised his eyes back to her betrayer.

"Ah Mello, so nice of you to announce yourself. What took you so long?" Mark asked from above her. The exchange sounded so casual, so opposite to the events that were unfolding- as if two people on polite terms had just met for brunch.

Mello. So that was the boy's name.

Wait-the two men were on a first-name basis?

Yep, she was about to vomit.

Mello cracked a grin and walked forward. "You looked a bit preoccupied." He started, kicking the body of the man on the floor apathetically. "I didn't want to interrupt you."

"I see. Well, I'm certainly sorry about the mess, I wasn't exactly expecting your visit."

"No offense taken." Mello waved him off and cast a cursory glance to the floor again. "But I don't think that the Boss will be happy about the cleaning bill."

"Well it's a good thing he's not going to know about it then." The statement was tinged with an underlying threat.

Mello snorted. "Of course."

The conversation going on in front of her was almost cruel in a way, as their blatant disregard for her when she knew something awful was going to happen after they finished talking. Her heart was thumping before, but now it felt as if it were seizing and was going to explode any second now. She could imagine the metal on her forehead, and Mark pulling the trigger to give her the same fate as the man on the floor beside her.

 _I don't want to die, I don't want to die. I don't want to die._

Maybe if she crawled away...?

The two men continued with their talk.

"Let's just cut to the chase. Why are you here?" Mark gritted.

Mello inspected his own gun dubiously. "Just in the neighborhood, you know, thought I'd drop by."

"And why is that, exactly?" Mark asked cryptically, eyes narrowing into accusatory slits.

A pause.

"I've heard from multiple sources that the only place you can find authentic Swiss chocolate is in your store."

"Excuse me?"

Mello just ignored him and scanned the various wrappers on the candy display.

"Dark chocolate, milk chocolate, white chocolate, hazelnuts-ah, my favorite." He snatched on from the rack and tore open the foil.

"The real reason Mello."

Snap. A bite.

"You know," the blond started between eating, leaning against the counter. "You almost took off my head back there." His light tone lowered to irritation. "You're lucky I have fast reflexes, or else..."

 _Why this insolent-_

Mark gulped. "Good thing I wasn't aiming for you then."

"I believe you..." The phrase was drenched in sarcasm. He finished the last square of the chocolate bar and scrutinized the wrapper before him. "Although, I would be more careful if I were you. There are rumors, about karma y'aknow."

An obvious allusion to the Kira story. The man stood unfazed.

"Good thing I had my record expunged years ago although I admit, I'm touched by your concern."

A monotone drawl.

"Consider it a warning." Mello replied as he swallowed the last chocolate square. "-Speaking, of which, to answer your question from before, that's why I'm here- to deliver one...or at least that's what I was supposed to do." He almost sounded disappointed. "You've been bolder lately, and it hasn't gone unnoticed. I was supposed to tell you to law low, or as Boss said 'to make sure he doesn't do anything too fucking rash" He cast a long, accusatory glance to the bloodied heap on the floor. "-You just had to use a gun, didn't you?"

The shot had woken the entire neighborhood no doubt, judging from the way his own eardrums were still experiencing a dull pain.

Ugh. He hoped he wasn't developing tinnitus.

Some people had no forethought.

"- I predict the cops will be here in…," The hour hand of the watch was just over twelve. "...15 minutes."

Mark had the decency to at least look concerned this time.

 _"...Shit."_

"I suggest you start by getting rid of the footage," Mello advised, signaling to the many CCTV cameras in the store. There was a considerable pause as the teenage boy's mind schemed for a way to turn this into something more favorable. "Actually scratch that, I'll handle the footage, and-" His eyes scanned the room and landed on her. "take the girl off your hands too. I can't do much for the physical evidence given well..."

He would be cleaning up the mess for him. It was an interesting notion, one that reeked of ulterior motives.

"That's generous of you..." Mark analyzed with unhidden suspicion "... _You want something._ "

A statement- not a question.

Mello grinned wide.

"Remember my proposition from before?"

Eyebrows flew up in response as the man connected the dots. It wasn't a simple offer. In fact, it was mutiny.

He'd always known the blond-haired beat was a mole.

"Perhaps I said I do..." a narrowing of the eyes. "...What's in it for me?"

Typical response.

"The same terms I'd outlined before...but this is my last offer."

The man didn't hesitate.

"Done." Mark leapt over the counter and retrieved a USB from God-knows-where, but not before stuffing his pockets with cash from the till. Before he dropped the stick into Mello's awaiting hands he spoke seriously. "This didn't happen, _hear?_ "

"My lips are sealed."

The trade was complete.

And with that, Mark fled the convenience store without so much as a remorseful backward glance to the scene he'd left behind. As soon as his silhouette disappeared at the view of the store, the distant sound of sirens could be heard from a few streets away. So maybe he had miscalculated a little bit when he'd said 15 minutes, but it was perfect timing.

"That's our cue to leave." Mello breathed out, eyes landing on Serendipity with clipped annoyance. He motioned his head to the back of the store. "Come on."

Wide eyes stared in response. She had just watched him broker a deal with a murderer, and now, he seemed so casual talking to her as if none of it mattered.

"Come on! We don't have much time!" He yelled, louder this time- but when she made no effort to move, he strongly gripped her arm and yanked her to her feet.

The sirens were closer now, maybe three streets away if they were lucky.

It was time to scatter.

He ran, and she unwillingly followed him through the back, stock rooms of the store, his long legs weaving through the halls without faltering. The exit signs were starting to run out of arrows. They passed countless boxes of contraband on the way out. If there had been any doubts about the store being a front, there was no argument now.

Serendipity gulped. She had never seen drugs in person before...but then again it was child's play compared to watching a person get shot.

Louder sirens. Two streets away now.

The door was in sight, and they burst through.

When the scent of fresh air reached Serendipity's nose, she almost cried, but it wasn't over yet.

More sirens.

Without a moment's notice, she found herself shoved against the brick walls of the alley, air escaping her lungs due to the shock. A leather-clad hand clamped over her mouth, muffling the surprised shriek that left her lips. Instantly, she became aware of three things: The bricks that dug into her back uncomfortably, the tips of golden hair that brushed her forehead, and the warmth radiating from his body.

This was too much excitement for one night, truly.

His frame easily dwarfed hers, as the immediate sight she was met with was of his black-sweater clad chest. Wide-eyed, she tilted her head up to see his expression to discern what was going on, and when her eyes adjusted to the darkness she realized he wasn't looking at her. No, His eyes were trained on the road in front of them.

As if in slow motion, A police car drove directly past the alley, close enough that calling out would've alerted them.

Close enough that she could've given them away with little effort.

When the blue and red lights faded out of sight, Mello retracted his hand from her face and uttered one simple command.

 _"Run."_

She didn't know what possessed her to follow him. She could have bolted in the other direction but something told her that wasn't a good idea, although following strange boys into dark alleys at midnight sounded much worse on paper. In another universe, this could have been a Kodak moment, two young lovers taking on the nightlife hand-in-hand. In another universe that was, and this was not another universe.

They ran.

Down Columbus Street, up Poe boulevard, across Poet's Square, past Lafayette Street and countless others. She didn't know how long they had run for, or how many streets they had passed- just that the adrenaline was saying go farther. However, a few streets later the adrenaline had waned, her lungs were burning, and her body taking over control was screaming stop.

"I think," a wheeze,"We lost them." They were still sprinting, and Mello didn't look at all phased. When the opportunity presented itself Serendipity tore her wrist from his grasp and stopped in her tracks. He turned around. "-I can't breathe."

In that moment there was only silence, just the sound of their labored breaths- and for the first time, she reflected on the entire ordeal. Here they were in the middle of an ordinary street, on an ordinary night, under extraordinary circumstances...and nobody knew it but them. They were the witnesses of a shared memory with no other mutual connections. She only had one question for him.

"Who...who are you?"

He loaded the question back in her direction. "Who are you?"

"I asked first."

He crossed his arms over his chest and shrugged.

"I'm Mello."

"I already know that."

"I'm a detective."

"A...detective?"

But he was so young, yet given the events...It made a bit of sense...sort of.

There was definitely a deeper side to that story.

A ringtone stopped the conversation from continuing.

 ** _-Great trembling there will be when the Judge descends from heaven to examine all things closely-_**

 ** _Call from: Matt_**

 _What a weird song…_

Mello fished the device out of his pockets and pressed accept. It was an expensive model, just like his clothes.

"Matt, yeah you took care of it? I know, I'll explain later." A friend perhaps? or an associate? Serendipity thought, "I'm on…" He stopped to take in their surroundings and locate the address."...King's corner. Got it? I'll meet you on the next block."

 _Click._

A sigh.

"So..." This was awkward. He was leaving. This was it? "If anyone asks you where you were tonight, it was in your bed at home- or a boyfriend's house, or anything really. Just not here. You never saw me."

"R-roger that."

"Perfect," it was drenched in sarcasm. This time, he turned to face her square on. "See you never." He turned on his heel to walk away, but she felt compelled to say something more.

"Serendipity." Her voice was louder than she intended it to be, but it did its job in gaining his attention. Imploring blue eyes met expectant brown irises, "...My name, it's Serendipity."

...

The corners of his lips quirked up in amusement.

"A happy accident...are you serious?" He scoffed.

"...Yeah."

The irony was not lost on them because this meeting had been an accident, but definitely not happy.

"Well then. Serendipity," the name flowed awkwardly from his lips,"Nice not knowing you."

And with that, he turned back around and walked away for real this time. She watched his retreating form fade into the oblivion of the night- her eyes transfixed to his shadow. Just like he'd barged into her life, he was gone like a smoke that dissipated into the air.

And that was the first time Serendipity met Mihael Keehl...and unfortunately enough for her, it wouldn't be the last time either.

But she didn't know that yet.

* * *

When Mello finally slid into the leather seats of the passenger side of their rental car his mask of confidence shattered. He briefly entertained the idea of slamming his face against the dashboard in front of him...repeatedly. Tonight had been a disaster and mediating a deal between a psychotic ex-mafia boss who'd just killed his former colleague while simultaneously saving a random girl all the while extracting information from his target had not been on his checklist for the day.

He deserved a medal, truly.

"Drive." A command. Matt slammed the gas pedal.

Thank God the windows were tinted because he was not about to let anybody else see his rage at the helplessness of the situation.

First, he initiated a punching battle with the passenger side seat, then he wrestled furiously with his seatbelt, and lastly glared out the window with smoldering eyes that could freeze someone on the spot with their intensity.

Needless to say, Mello was pissed.

Apathetic eyes shielded by amber goggles cast a blank expression in the rear-view mirror to witness the sight.

"So what, you're like Batman now or something?" An amused laugh, but the situation wasn't funny.

Mello sighed, long and aggravated.

"That wasn't supposed to happen."

The plan was simple. He was supposed to have gone in there to keep tabs on Mark, a prime suspect in a case regarding illegal drug trade throughout the area. He was supposed to have grilled him on the spot about the whole ordeal to catch him off-guard while using his cover as a fellow member of the organization which had taken months to cement. He was supposed to have cracked the case the right way to finally prove himself as the worthy successor.

All of those things were supposed to have happened.

But of course, it didn't.

From the moment he'd heard the shots, he'd lost. He had forgotten rule one of being a competent detective and hadn't prepared for the unexpected. He was so certain everything would go his way, and that he'd leave with an easy victory that he'd failed the consider the possibility of error. Sure, he'd gotten the information, and he'd saved a civilian...but now he'd turned Mark loose in the process- a method his mentor would not have approved of- and that was damning.

Now what?

His thoughts shifted to the girl.

She was pathetic really. Couldn't even have snuck away without him, and for some reason, he'd felt obligated to help her. Would L have done that?- Potentially compromise a case for someone irrelevant? Thoughts of Lind. L Taylor came to mind, the man who'd been a simple domino to the KIRA situation. The man who'd stood proxy and died on public television for the world to see. A martyr for L...no, collateral damage.

No, L wouldn't.

He wouldn't make the same mistake twice.

And what had she said her name was? Serendipity of all things? Irony at its best.

"You know, they're going to have to hear about this sooner or later." Matt's voice rang out from the driver's side. "How do you know he's not going to squeal?"

Because Mello would kill him if he did.

But yes, there was that other complication.

The thought of the report of this failure reaching Near's ears boiled his blood. Matt always had a way of saying things he didn't want to hear.

"Don't remind me..."

Outside the car, lights passed ominously- the skyline of the city growing fainter and fainter as they drove further and further away, and it seemed like in that moment, Mello's mood only became darker with each mile. Soon, a crease formed above his brow, and a steely look set itself in his eyes. Everything was wrong. The night had been foiled, his already hormonal, puberty driven angst was increased tenfold, and he'd suddenly recalled the newscast from before.

In retrospect, it seemed that was the fixed point as to where it all started to go downhill.

The inmate's full name has not been released but sources tell us that he was found to have died due to a heart attack. Witnesses speculate the identity of the victim to be the perpetrator of the LABB Murder Cases of 2002...

"Kira's getting bold…" Mello muttered and contemplated silently.

"Mean anything good for us?" Matt questioned.

A pause.

"I don't think so."

* * *

Serendipity's phone buzzed furiously in her pocket.

 _15 missed calls. 33 messages._

 _WHERE ARE YOU?!_

They'd noticed.

She hoped she was a good liar.

* * *

 ** _~oOo~_**

* * *

 **So yeah, that's over.**

 **BB is dead, and our main players have been introduced. I always thought Mello and the other successors must've solved cases before L died, because how else would he know if they were capable? Also, yeah I know Matt is 15 and driving but considering he looked pretty adept at it in the anime, and seeing as they are all geniuses and all- I don't think it'd TOO much of a stretch**

 **Also, Mello's ringtone is the Deathnote theme translated.**

 **So yeah, that's chapter numero uno. If you are feeling generous, perhaps you can drop a review?**

 **C'ya next chapter.**

 **~dreamwithinadream262~**


	2. Chapter 2

**_Finally Updating this after 50 years. Enjoy!-and leave a comment if you're feelng generous._**

* * *

 _3 Years Later_

 _2007_

* * *

"Ren, you have the notes from yesterday? I had to go to court with my mom to pay off her parking tickets." Bethany asked, pinching her nose in dismay. She was one of those swanky future-socialite types from uptown, with a chic haircut and brand name clothing. One who apparently had been stuck in municipal court all of yesterday. They'd met on the first day of class and had become fast friends after recognizing each other from the thousands of orientation events they were forced to go to, hence why she was the only person who was allowed to use the nickname "Ren."

"And that took all day?" Serendipity asked curiously.

"Yeah," Bethany rolled her eyes, and pushed her reading glasses up her nose. "She got em' in New Jersey of all places...and then we had to take the Holland Tunnel back during rush hour. A complete disaster I tell you!"

"Jeez...that's rough." She slid her notebook over to the brunette, "Here you go but just a forewarning ...I'm not the best note taker sooo…"

"It's alright," A dismissing wave "Whatever I don't get from you- Justin will fill me in."

Justin was the third person in their so-called study group that met up every Tuesday and Friday in the University Of Upper Manhattan's library, the college they all attended. He was studying pre-med..or he would eventually. Just like they were studying pre-law, or would after completing all of their Gen Eds. Bethany and him had apparently known each other in high school, but they seemed to be mild acquaintances at most. The first time she'd seen the guy, he'd been typing furiously on his laptop on a bench in the park as Bethany and she got out of class. Bethany naturally stopped to introduce them, and the rest was history. He was a smart guy really, dedicated, studious, the most focused out of their small group. She briefly wondered why he still hung out with them.

 _Clack. Clack. Clack._

The professor was writing something, chalk hitting the blackboard in dull thuds. When he was finished and sidestepped so they could all see, the word debate was circled and underlined in multiple colors.

Oh Joy.

They all knew what that meant.

If there was one thing they did in _Contemporary Issues 101,_ it was to engage in the occasional debate.

Professor Dawes wiped the chalk dust off his hands and pointed to the word, and then turned around to his laptop and produced a powerpoint to the screen. A recent picture of a few recognizable politicians on the steps of Capitol Hill popped up, including a certain someone's father, and Serendipity's heart sank. She felt a few glances in her direction and tried to force a neutral expression on her face despite her displeasure at the turn of the lecture.

 _This is going to be fun…_ she thought sarcastically.

"I'm sure all of you already know that this means," He started up again, this time a look bordering on amusement reflected in his eyes, "Today we are going to be debating the ethics of PAC- which as some of you know is currently being debated in the House of Reps as we sit here. For those of you that don't know-" He paused and scanned the crowd until his eyes settled on a victim. Most of the students at that moment chose to avert their eyes from the front of the room or pretend to be busy taking notes; almost everyone that is.

"Jared! What does PAC stand for?" Profesor Dawes yelled in the direction of his victim.

Jared, the student in question who had been sitting with his headphones on the down low (but not enough), blinked a few times before ripping them out and wore a sheepish smile.

"'I'm sorry ah- what was the question again?" His eyes searched the room for context clues, until they landed on the projected picture and everyone could visibly see the lightbulb go off in his head "Oh right right right- PAC It's the uh- it's that prisoner law thing, right?"

"Serendipity!" The professor pointed his piece of chalk in her direction, effectively putting her in the spotlight. Suddenly, all the eyes in the classroom were on her, and she suppressed a bubble of anxiety at the attention. "Is it in fact that 'prisoner law thing?"

Of course he would ask her to confirm. He couldn't have asked a better person in the room to do it. PAC was her father's idea after all. Her father's very _controversial,_ and very _reactionary_ idea in fact. By this time she'd quite possibly had the words of it tattooed in her brain.

The words flowed almost automatically out of her mouth as she recalled the many nights she spent at the dinner table overhearing and participating in discussions over the material.

"PAC stands for Prisoners Against Corruption- and its goal is to set up protections and regulations that would help keep the identities of convicted or ongoing felony cases private."

Not one stutter or slip.

"And why would this be important because…?"

She gulped. That's where the controversy laid. Her gaze flickered to the impassive, but expectant faces in the crowd that were waiting for her to elaborate. Somehow she knew they wouldn't be as impassive with her next words.

"The importance of PAC is to stifle the acts of Kira and keep justice regulated to the courts' system, as it has been deducted that Kira needs a name and face to kill. So local and national law enforcement would have to classify their case documents, and the media would not be allowed to report on them."

A few eyebrows shot up in curiosity at the description. Others were more transparent in their sentiments and wore very displeased frowns.

"Precisely!" Professor Dawes bursted, this time adding keywords such as _protection, regulation, justice system,_ and most importantly **_Kira_ **under DEBATE. Then, on the other side of the board, he wrote _defense_ and _opposition_. "Lawmakers over the past years have been struggling to find an appropriate response to the Kira phenomenon, and I'm sure all of you already know what Kira is so let's just jump into the real fun. If your student ID ends in an even number, you will be arguing in defense of PAC, and if your ID ends in an even number you will be arguing against. Everyone understand?"

There were a few subtle nods of acknowledgment.

"Great, now break up. Remember to use legal precedents in your argument!"

Amongst the squeaks of moving chairs and shuffle of notebooks and bags someone tapped her on the shoulder with their pen; and when she swiveled around, she found Bethany staring expectantly back at her. "I'm an odd number, how about you?"

"Um," Serendipity glanced down at her wallet which proudly displayed the college ID card in its full plastic glory. Under the horrendous picture of her, it read: 120954 "Even." Well that was a relief. She looked up in mock disdain. "Seems we're not on the same team. Sorry."

"It's alright," Bethany said smirking "They're going to need you on that side if they're going to try to win."

"Hm? What do you mean?"

"What I mean is...you're probably one of the few people in this room who actually supports this bill. The rest of em are going to give up the debate pretty easily."

"I never said my opinion on it..." Serendipity muttered.

"Oh please, you looked like you'd won the lottery when you realized you were on the defense."

She couldn't argue with that.

"Touche."

"Anyways, good luck." And with that, Bethany winked and strolled off to her side of the room.

This was going to be a piece of cake.

Serendipity picked up her books and sauntered over to the defense side. When she reached their designated chairs and saw the faces of her so-called teammates, she tried hard to suppress a grimace...Bethany was right, she'd need all the help she could get...especially because He was there. He was slouching lazily in a chair to her left with unconcealed apathy, his trademark haughty smirk gracing his lips.

He in question had a name: John Gabriel. Son of small business owner Samuel Gabriel; whose existence it seemed was solely to be the bane of her academic existence. At first glance, he had seemed like a nice guy when she'd met him on orientation week and he'd offered her a polite smile and the seat next to him in their mandatory lecture- but some small talk and uncomfortable mentions of Kira later, his countenance changed. His polite smile morphed into a grimace instantaneously after she hinted at a possible disdain for the enigma that was Kira, and from that moment any possible good feelings she could have entertained towards him were soured quite mutually. It was always the same with Kira fanatics. Always.

Their next meetings on campus were less than pleasant...

She picked the chair farthest away from him, but that didn't stop John from noticing her presence and opening his big, annoying mouth.

"Good luck!" He called after her as she desperately tried to make herself invisible, but alas she didn't have superpowers and therefore it didn't work. "You're going to need it."

Why the hell was he sitting here anyway? Was it just to spite her? To prove something? Probably.

She gritted her teeth and forced a taunting smile. "Likewise. Don't you have somewhere to go...?"

He only smiled in response and after what seemed like an agonizing 10 seconds, casually strolled over to his team's side.

In the next minutes after a futile lackluster conversation with the rest of her teammates, Serendipity was pushed to the front of the podium to be the spokesman for their argument. After a few minutes of pre-debate exposition that seemed to go on forever it was her turn to speak, and when she did, it was with the utmost confidence and an air of almost casual assurance.

"-According to the Fifth Amendment of the United States Constitution, " She started," a person accused of a crime is guaranteed the rights to a fair trial by his peers, protection against self-incrimination, and against the use of cruel an/or unusual punishment. Kira disallows people their rights to habeas corpus and a fair trial in the court of law by bypassing our institutions of justice and instituting his, or her own..."

At this point all eyes were on her, previously uncaring faces now soaking in her words with alertness...although most were devising a way to prove her points wrong.

She loved it.

Fighting back a grin, Serendipity continued.

"-Plato once said that those apathetic to political affairs would find themselves ruled by evil men, and although my opponents would like to paint Kira as a benevolent power, who is to say it will stay that way forever? We cannot allow the whole of our justice systems to be superseded by the powers of an unknown force who may or may not work in our interests in the unknown future. To be apathetic to Kira is to ignore the possible consequences this could have for the future. The founding fathers outlined our constitution with the ideas that anyone's life, whether free man or the accused, could not be decided by the hand of another one man. With Kira, justice is autocratic..."

Before she could get another word in, another voice interjected.

"Autocratic?"

John's voice to be more specific, and he sounded scandalized- like someone had just insulted his favorite teen boy-band member.

"Kira is not a simple political figure," He defended, signaling around the room for those who agreed. "Kira is a catalyst for change, and these are already convicted criminals who've already been proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. If anything, Kira has had a direct positive effect on the United States economy and law system by cutting costs that were previously allocated to disputing death row sentences in appeals court." He shuffled his papers and grabbed one to read off of. "The Justice Department estimates that taxpayers have saved over $700 million dollars in costs related to the justice system- and other organizations have proven that since the introduction of KIRA, crime rates have gone down by more than 20%. Multiple states have already shut down some state prisons due to the decrease in crime- and multiple urban areas such as Chicago has seen gangs disbanded and a new quality of life never thought imaginable. If KIRA is an autocratic leader, then I am happy to live in a world where real justice is served."

After his last sentence, a flurry of applause erupted amongst the students. A few agreeing nods bobbed in his direction.

With a roll of her eyes, Serendipity prepared to rebut, but he beat her to speaking, completely disregarding the intended format of a formal debate...and to her chagrin, Prof Dawes did nothing to correct it.

"Let's take a vote- Who in this class supports Kira?!" John asked, raising his arm high in the air.

Public opinion naturally fell on the side of John's spectacle, and almost all of the hands in the room shot up, including Bethany's.

Needless to say after his big question, it wasn't hard to tell who won the debate on the standard of convincing people.

But that didn't mean Serendipity wasn't going to be mad about it.

Later, after the end of their lecture, and further talks about the details and provisions of PAC, Serendipity met Bethany outside of class on the bowling green of the University campus- new homework assignments in hand.

"So," Bethany started, sipping some coffee from the vending machine in the lecture hall "What are you going to do for this paper?"

The paper in question was their new assignment, a formal write-up on their opinions post-class debate.

Serendipity sighed. "To be honest I don't even know. I feel like this topic has been beaten to death. What more is there to say? Prof. Dawes already knows my opinion...it's not like he cares anyway. Sometimes I wish we'd do something that wasn't talking about Kira. Like, yeah I get it- he's a big deal or whatever but there's a lot of other contemporary issues too."

A snort. "You're saying you don't like talking about Kira?"

"I'm saying I think there are bigger things to worry about."

Bethany shrugged. "Well I for one kind of like the Kira talk. Makes my assignments easy." They both started walking towards the library. "Speaking of which, can I interview your dad for my journalism class? I have to interview someone and ask them about their job."

Serendipity blanched. "My dad? Why can't you just ask your mom or something?"

"My mom is an accountant. Interviewing a senator sounds _way_ more interesting." Bethany explained, stopping briefly to throw out her now empty can of coffee. They had made it to the entrance of the library. "Just think about it, okay?"

"I don't know..." Serendipity mumbled a frown blooming across her lips. She did not like her home life and school life to mix, especially because she knew Bethany didn't agree with her father's policies either. Maybe it was a mistake to tell her . "He's really busy these days, with the bill and in the wake of the last midterm elections...plus the next ISFKI meeting is coming up soon so he doesn't have that much time..."

"ISFKI?" Bethany questioned as they began up the weathered steps.

"International Summit for Kira Investigations, I told you about it last week remember?"

"Not really...wait it's that detective conference right?"

"I guess you could say that." The ISFKI meeting was an annual event for all organizations and people of influence dedicated to solving the Kira case. Started four years prior and hosted by delegates from the FBI, it aimed to bring together all of the leading forces in the world against Kira whether it were detectives, politicians, or more- and naturally, her father was invited. This year it was to be hosted in a secret location in New York City, due to the NYPD's generous offers as security for the event. In Serendipity's opinion, it sounded more like a benefit dinner for those involved with the case, at most a morality boost for those organizations, and at the least a black-tie networking event; but she'd never gone so it was up to interpretation...until this year that was. This year her father insisted her attendance; citing something how she was old enough now, and being that her prospective major was law, she'd better start networking now. Well with that logic she couldn't have said no really...

In all honesty, she'd accepted to appease her parents, but mostly out of curiosity. It was a highly-controlled, _private_ event after all.

"Well, whatever it is, it sounds interesting. Tell me about it again some other time."

They stepped through the library door.

"Sure."

* * *

 _Ctrl+z Ctrl+z Ctrl+z Ctrl+z Ctrl+z Ctrl+z Ctrl+z Ctrl+z Ctrl+z_

Her fingers slammed furiously on the delete key until the word vomit of a paragraph she'd been writing disappeared into oblivion.

An empty document stared back at her, the cursor blinking like it was mocking the lack of words on the screen.

Two thousand words to go and zero written.

This essay was going terribly.

 _I need to take a break_ Serendipity thought, leaning back in her desk chair and rubbing her tired, strained eyes. She'd been starting or trying to start her assignment for the last hour but writer's block had done its best to stop that. Everything she wrote wasn't good enough, too broad, too narrow, too discombobulated. It was beginning to be quite frustrating, really.

A notification from her phone sounded at that exact moment. Her first smartphone to be exact- released only a few months ago. She unlocked the screen.

 ** _1 Unread Message from Justin_**

 _You coming to the party tonight?_ _I'm w Beth rn and she was asking about you._

The party. Right, how could she possibly forget? There weren't that many on campus but when they happened, everyone showed up. She hadn't gone to one yet despite Bethany's constant invitations, and tonight was the same. What else would undergrads do on a Friday night in _NYC_ of all places? Well, in her case, Homework. She was a model student alright...but...

Serendipity caught her reflection in her phone screen. A tired face shined back at her. Straight-laced. Goody-two-shoes. That was her reputation. Always work and no play, they'd say. What they didn't know is she didn't go because parties put her on edge- the loud music, the crowds- brought back unsavory memories regarding a certain blonde boy and gunshots at a convenience store.

 _Mello._ That name always came back to her. In random moments, in dreams...sometimes she wondered if that night was a dream.

But it wasn't, she knew it wasn't. It was just a bad memory- a wrong place at the wrong time moment that she'd been an unfortunate witness to. But hey, at least she made it out of there alive- not like the other guy...

Sometimes she still could hear the gunshots, the sirens, his ringtone even. After he'd left her there in the street without a second glance after practically saving her life in a way and the adrenaline wore off she walked home in a daze. That was the last time she walked at night, the last time she went anywhere at night alone really, and nobody was the wiser. She never told anyone- and based upon the police reports she'd seen on the news in the following days about the shooting, nobody knew that she'd been there either.

A memory. That's what that night had become. One bad memory.

A memory that seemed to haunt her in moments like these.

 _Why am I even thinking about this?_ Serendipity thought, shooing away her thoughts long enough to send a quick text to Justin confirming her lack of attendance of yet another college party. She fell back unto her bed with a resounding thud and stared at the ceiling.

 _Why can't I just be normal? Why can't I just be like everyone else?_

Because she was a senator's daughter -because she walked into the wrong convenience store at the wrong time.

She rolled over onto her side, throwing her phone haphazardly to the side. In that moment her gaze fell upon the dress hung up in her closet- the one she'd bought with her mother the previous weekend downtown for the ISFKI conference. It was nothing extravagant really- simple black, with an empire cut and a slit on one side. However, that wasn't the only garment on the hanger. There was one other element of course: a mask. When her mother had told her that the ISFKI event was a masquerade she couldn't help but snort at the implications; _of_ course it was- after all everyone knew that Kira needed a name and face to kill. When picking out the mask she'd felt excitement at the prospects, it was all too cliche, something out of a book...but now the only sentiments the event brought to her was of dread.

One more glance at the closet. ISFKI was two weeks away.

The idea of going gave her a sense of trepidation, an anxiety that she couldn't shake...something she contributed to nerves. Maybe she was just overthinking, she always did. That had to be the answer.

She really hoped that was the answer.

* * *

Across town, another two individuals were also readying themselves for the event.

"The International Summit for Kira Investigations is only two weeks away- you think we have enough time to pull this off?" He asked, flicking his cigarette to the ground and crushing it under his boot.

"Of course we do." He replied grinning. Then, a pause. "How much do you think a bike costs?"


	3. Chapter 3

Makeup? _Check._

Hair? _Check._

Mask..?

She knotted the satin ribbons around her head. A new, mysterious figure reflected in the mirror.

 _Check._

She smiled. For the first time in a long time, Serendipity felt the euphoric sensation of excitement and curiosity.

The International Summit for Kira Investigations was _today_...and all that was left to do was go.

Before, trepidation was the reigning emotion she assigned to thoughts about the event but, after getting ready, after spending what seemed like hours of preparation at the mercy of makeup artists and hair stylists (at her Mother's insistence of course) her anxious thoughts melted away to naive anticipation.

After all, technically this _was_ the first party she would attend as a college student...and even though the context was way different, that wasn't going to stop her from having a good time. And...she looked nice- pretty even, more than pretty even...and it just felt cathartic to dress up for once- to feel like a different person.

Hell, she needed a good break after everything that had transpired in the last few weeks. Midterms were coming up and all she'd had time to think about was completing the seemingly infinite mountain of homework and projects her professors assigned and studying for said midterms. Coffee and Redbull were the only things getting her through the day at that point, and exhaustion was not a cute look for anyone- hence why today's call for an improved appearance was happily met.

Dress? Smokey eye? Vermillion lipstick?

 _Check. Check. Check._

"Serendipity, we're leaving!" Her mother's animated voice rang through the hallway.

"Coming!" Serendipity chirped and stepped out of the bathroom. Her heels echoed off the tiled floors as she attempted to walk gracefully to the front door, although her short jaunt resembled more a strutting chicken than a refined lady. Well, practice makes perfect they say, right?

After a few minutes of traipsing through hallways and short elevator rides with her mother making sporadic conversation with her father, they made it outside to their awaiting ride. The sight and feel of the cool leather interior of their chartered limo for the night felt like Cinderella's carriage. A carriage complete with well-tinted plexiglass windows and reinforced doors, their driver informed.

"Just a precautionary measure," he explained "better safe than sorry."

"From who..?" She questioned without thinking.

The driver cast her a cursory glance in the rearview mirror, mouth straightening to a thin line. His answer was contrite.

"Kira fanatics."

 _Oh_. In her enthusiasm, she'd almost forgotten about them.

...Her excitement faltered briefly, trepidation rising again.

"But I thought the location wasn't published to the public?"

Across the aisle, her father flashed a sardonic smile. "It isn't, but they always find it, some way or another."

Noticing the sudden apprehensive expression she wore, he shot her reassuring look. "-But don't worry, they always have great security, and you're going to keep us safe, right Ralph?"

 _Ralph_ , their driver, and apparent security guard only chuckled. "Yes, Sir."

They continued to drive through the city. An hour of much traffic and some well-placed IFSFKI specific security checkpoints later, they reached their destination- and the moment Serendipity stepped out of the limo, she realized just how many precautions the event organizers had taken to ensure that IFSKI ran without interruption.

The facade of the conference building was unassuming from the outside, a regular highrise that looked like every other in the city- and if it weren't for the obvious heightened security around the perimeter of the lobby, and the long train of limousines amongst other vehicles lined up on the sidewalk- no one would have been able to guess what exactly was going on that night. However, based on the echoing jeers and calls that Serendipity could faintly detect coming from somewhere outside of the security perimeter, somehow, _someone_ knew. If they had driven a few streets down they would have undoubtedly been met with the sight of protesting Kira supporters. Their driver had been right, it seemed...and based on the volume of the echoing voices, it wasn't just a few of them.

Serendipity gulped. Thank god for security.

Suddenly, she felt a lot more happy that she was wearing a mask.

Upon sighting their small group, a security guard approached them and simply beckoned them to follow. Looking around at the other various attendees arriving at the scene it also seemed they were being escorted in. Another precautionary measure it seemed.

Suffice to say, they followed.

"Well, what do you think so far?" Her father questioned as they walked up the marble steps of the building. His eyes crinkled in amusement under the white mask that he wore.

"Well, I don't really know yet..." She whispered back. "I haven't seen much yet..."

"Just you wait." Was all he replied.

Following the security guard/NYPD office through a maze of corridors, they made it to another room which was eerily reminiscent of an airport, with body scanners and bag checks to boot. If not for the well-dressed, mask-wearing attendees and the distinct lack of luggage, it would have looked like a daily scene at JFK. Her father seemed unsurprised.

"Just another-"

"Precautionary measure, right?"

Her father nodded. "Yep. But at least they don't make you take your shoes off."

"Thank God." Her mother sighed.

One body scan and one more floor of security checks later, they were finally on the elevator to the third floor where the conference was being held...and when the doors opened, Serendipity's jaw dropped.

Stunning. That was the only word accurate enough to describe the conference hall. Absolutely stunning.

The hall's interior was akin to an opera house: high ceilings, glittering chandeliers, and the unmistakable focal point of the room- the center stage surrounded by rich, burgundy curtains- which overlooked the bustling crowds of waiters, speakers, and guests who milled around the myriad of tables with intricate place settings and gorgeous floral centerpieces. The room was prom on steroids, but that description barely did it justice. Serendipity pondered that ISFKI really must have been an international event as there were not so many people with anti-kira sentiments who even lived in the United States. Underneath the masks of every participant in this hall was a person with interests similar to her father- controversial opinions that were possibly dangerous.

"A penny for your thoughts?" A voice asked, interrupting her thoughts. When Serendipity looked up she realized it was her father staring back at her, a smug grin perched on his lips. He must have seen her shock.

"It's...amazing." She simply replied.

He only smiled.

"Follow me."

Minutes later, Serendipity found herself sitting at one of the many tables in the hall, and yes- the crystal glasses on the place settings were in fact, real. She could only wait and observe the many people filing into the hall- and within minutes, the entire hall was seated.

The burgundy curtains dramatically opened revealing a figure on the stage.

He was a middle-aged man with salt-and-pepper hair and face obscured by a glittering red mask. The organizer of the event, she presumed.

"Ladies and gentlemen," He began into the mic, a hearty voice cutting through the jumbled whispers radiating from the crowd, "Welcome to the fourth annual International Summit for Kira Investigations. Before we begin, I would like to take a moment to acknowledge our sponsors, and all who helped organize this event- and to you, who without your efforts none of this would be possible."

Jubilant applause erupted like thunder from the audience.

Serendipity was captivated.

A proud grin wound its way across the organizer's face.

"Tonight," A pregnant pause. Complete hush over the audience, "-you will hear a wide array of speakers all with international perspectives and insights on Kira Investigations worldwide, as well as the unique tactics, methods, and detective efforts that are being made in order to restore our world's justice system back to normalcy. It is in this fight against injustice that we are all brought together- to resist Kira, and restore order to our world." More applause, louder this time. "However, before we begin I have the pleasure to announce our special guest for this banquet."

 _Special guest?_ Her eyes fixated in on the stage in anticipation.

"-He flew all the way across the Pacific to be here with us tonight, and although only 25, he's already proved a great career through his involvement in the KIRA case in Japan. Valedictorian of both his high school and alma matter To-Oh University -I apologize if I pronounced that wrong," a few laughs escaped from the crowd," May I introduce to you all, the lead investigator of the Japanese Kira Task-Force, Mister Light Yagami."

Then out of the sidelines came an unassuming man. The crowd gasped.

 _Woah._ Serendipity thought.

Not because of his apparent youth- which was immediately striking, or the way the Japanese detective strolled casually and diplomatically across the stage with an air of humility that stifled the room. No, it wasn't because of his demure, gracious handshake to the presenter, or his general levity that was impressive for a supposed detective, especially one with the weight of catching Kira on his shoulders. It wasn't his perfectly pressed suit or meticulously folded satin pocket -gifted to him by Misa of course- or his titanium cufflinks. It wasn't his perfectly coiffed light-brown hair or the sheepish, but still dazzling smile he flashed to the audience. No, it was none of these things. What had the audience, and Serendipity so transfixed was not the aspects that Light Yagami had, but instead the distinct lack of one.

That lack being in the space between his nose and forehead.

Light Yagami wore _no mask_.

"Before I start, I'd just like to apologize for my English as I haven't really used it since high school I admit..." His timber voice cut through the air, an almost _undetectable_ accent coloring his words. "I am so honored to be here tonight with all of you, under the same goal of protecting justice. Although this has been a long fight I know that it is one we all are dedicated to pursuing, and for that reason, I am so excited to work with you all. Thank you for having me." And with those words, Light bowed briefly, to the almost deafening acclamation of all in the room.

Being so close to the stage, Serendipity couldn't help but stare at the enigma that was presented to them. She half expected the man, with such nerve, such gall to show a general disregard for his own identity in such a setting, to topple over from a heart attack right then and there. His message was evident, and despite such a humble approach, confidence overflowed from his simple act.

Fearless. That's what he was. His face was an invitation to Kira. A _challenge-_ and even though this was a private event, there was still a possibility for danger.

 _Who is this guy?_

Thoroughly mesmerized by his display, Serendipity watched as the detective rose from his bow as the applause dwindled. She followed the movement of his gaze as he quickly scanned the crowd- and then, momentarily, if not for a millisecond their eyes locked and she froze- a blush immediately blooming under her mask.

Calculating and deductive, that's what his intense gaze was.

This was no ordinary man.

Somewhere in the background the presenter regained the mic and commissioned the banquet to start, and detailed the presenter schedule for the night.

"Impressive man that Yagami is..." her mother whispered into her ear as the waiters returned to fill their glasses with wine.

She could only nod in agreement.

* * *

The banquet was uneventful for the most part.

Waiters waited, people milled about- some ambitious characters weaved around tables in a sort of social tango dance, and others chatted amicably amongst themselves while feasting on the various assortment of carefully selected dishes on tonight's menu.

The festivities, in short, were underway...and Serendipity gleefully participated.

She felt, elevated- light, airy. Gone were the negative emotions that followed her at the University of Upper Manhattan. Whether that was due to the opulent aesthetics or the past complimentary glasses of wine she had drunk to her mother's frank disapproval, time could only tell.

Below the surface of her elevated state of being, however, another sensation was simmering.

The call of nature, as it were.

"Ahem," she coughed, standing up from her chair for the first time in the last hour. Her mother turned. "I'm going to go to the bathroom real quick."

A nod of acknowledgment- and then a mirthful whisper accompanied by the amused crinkling of the eyes.

"Don't get lost."

Serendipity rolled her eyes.

"I won't."

She sauntered off. As she passed their table, she caught a glimpse of her father speaking in hushed tones to an unknown man in her peripheral vision. Another politician, she assumed. _Probably_ talking about PAC. _Probably_ devising some sort of scheme. She wondered if she knew him- under the mask, but the ever-present quest of finding the restroom interrupted that train of thought.

Slipping through the crowd, which on its own was a whole other quest in itself of dodging hurried waiters and their trays, as well as avoiding stepping on the expensive dress trains of other women, Serendipity finally found her way to the entrance hall, where a few other guests stood- some furiously typing on their phones, and others seeking momentary relief from the taxing exuberant atmosphere.

In the distance, two hallways extended from the lobby, presumably where the bathrooms would be found.

 _Left or right_... She considered, before settling on the latter hallway. It seemed like the right direction (no pun intended) to go.

Three minutes of aimless walking later she conceded she was indeed, lost.

 _"You think they would have some signs around this place..._ " She mumbled to herself, peering over the corner of another corridor in the hopes that a bathroom would suddenly materialize, but none presented themselves. Instead, the sight of a darkened corridor and the silhouette of a shadowed figure filled her vision.

Now, usually when someone finds themselves alone in a dark corridor with a stranger, they would panic, or turn back...but Serendipity was curious, and it wasn't like she was in a rush to return anyway.

She inched closer.

The figure, the _male_ figure stood in front of one of the many grand floor-to-ceiling windows that reflected moonlight onto the walls of the hallway. As she looked closer, she noticed that his expression was neither pleased nor displeased, calculating eyes set on the sight before him and lips pursed in an apathetic line. He seemed to be observing something from down below which was obscured from her limited vision. Peering in closer to the mysterious figure, Serendipity realized she recognized him. It was the detective from before, the special guest Light Yagami. But what was he doing out here?

Her heart skipped a beat.

She couldn't help but give him a glance over from where she stood; it wasn't just any day when you would meet Kira's lead opponent. Speaking of opponents, briefly, an image of Light and Kira, whoever he or she was, as the Batman and the Joker popped into her head and she suppressed a laugh. Light looked stoic standing there in the shadows of the hallway, like a Japanese version of Bruce Wayne- but something about the comparison wasn't quite right. No, not Batman. Light was more like Harvey Dent, she amended. Kind of an ideologue for justice as it were- someone with upright zeal to a fault. She wondered if he also had two faces...

Well, whether he did or did not have two faces, he definitely did have an Armani suit, she noted. What was a detective's salary anyway?

Suddenly, as if sensing her presence, he turned around and saw her.

Caught. A deer in the headlights.

After a few seconds of uncomfortable silence, Serendipity realized he was waiting for her to introduce herself.

"Ah, sorry if I snuck up on you!" She apologized, thankful that her mask hid her flushed cheeks. This was not how she predicted her night turning out. "I saw you standing there and uhm, uh-"

 _I was just staring at your face? I can't say that!_

"No worries." He responded, effectively stopping her nervous tirade. If he'd noticed she'd been checking him out for a whole minute he did nothing to acknowledge it. "I'm Light," He introduced, reaching out a hand. _But you probably knew that._

"Ah, Serendipity." She supplied. Were they supposed to give out names in this conference? Too late. She hesitantly took his hand. His grip was firm. A short, but pleasant handshake. "And yeah, I remember you from your introduction." She averted her gaze from his piercing gaze. "What were you looking at?"

He quirked a brow in mild surprise at her inquiry.

"Well," he started, turning back around and making enough space for her to stand beside her. He gestured to the window. "Why don't you take a look for yourself."

An invitation. She couldn't help but give into curiosity.

She slowly made her way over to his side and peered out of the window. When she did, however, all of her elevated emotions from before disappeared.

Below them, outside, were Kira supporters, and not just a few of them. The chanting that she'd heard from before when they'd arrived at the conference made sense now- but there were a lot more of them than she had previously considered. Hundreds it seemed- most wearing black. Many of them carried signs, but they were almost impossible to read amongst the sheer multitude of people crammed within the city block. They were moving too. A sinister aura radiated from the fanatical scene- a dangerous one even. The only barricade between them and the building were the multiple barriers and officers surrounded the perimeter.

 _So many eyes..._

In that moment she remembered she was standing in front of a huge window, and the overpowering urge to hide took hold of her senses. Suddenly, she wanted to be anywhere else but standing next to Light Yagami in front of that window in the hallway. She wanted to run. Those eyes- it felt like they were piercing her, as if they were peeling away all of her layers. She wished she were small. Invisible.

"They can't see you from here." Yagami commented as if reading her mind. "They tint all of the windows before we come."

Instantaneously, the words p _recautionary measures_ replayed internally.

"Thank God," she let out a shaky breath and took an unconscious step back. Hopefully, her fear wasn't too apparent. "There's just...so... many of them."

He hummed in agreement.

"Amazing, right?" He questioned cynically, eyes never leaving the tumultuous crowds floors below them. His stare was unwavering and resolute. No fear. If anything, it seemed he was mildly bored. In his line of work, maybe he was jaded to these types of things?

"More like horrifying." She corrected him grimacing.

Yagami's eyes dimmed, but he made no effort to respond.

A pragmatic pause followed.

"So..." he started up again, finally tearing his eyes from the scene. "What are you doing here?"

 _I could ask you the same question,_ she wanted to say, but his inquiry also reminded her of her embarrassing predicament.

Again, she was thankful for the mask.

"Uh," she started sheepishly, "I got lost on the way to the bathroom." She averted her gaze, lest her blush grew under his scrutiny. "...and ended up here."

To her relief, he didn't laugh.

"It's down the corridor to the left." Light simply stated.

"I kind of figured that at this point."

Silence.

This was starting to get awkward.

"Well, It was nice to meet you Mister Yagami.." Serendipity rushed, feeling a new kind of anxiety blooming in her- the social kind. She felt like a silly schoolgirl talking to her crush- not that she had a crush on the detective given this was their first meeting- but the feeling was similar. No, it was more inadequacy that she felt. Puny under his gaze. Here was a man, only a few years her senior, and he was _doing_ something in the world. She was just a college student. _Useless._ "I look forward to your speech!" She added, before stepping backward.

"Likewise, and thank you." Were the last words she heard from his mouth before she walked away, feeling the heat of his gaze on her back. When she rounded the corner, a great wave of relief came to her...but also a wave of embarrassment.

 _Stupid. Stupid. Stupid._ She thought. _You just had to get lost, didn't you._

This moment was going to be another splendid addition to her mental folder of cringe-filled recollections.

This time, she actually found the bathroom.

* * *

 _3 New Notifications._

A hazy-blue glow emitted from her phone and illuminated the walls of the bathroom stall. This was the first time she'd checked her phone since arriving, a reminder that beyond the walls of the highrise- she had a normal life to return to.

The first was an alert from campus, a warning about the registration deadline for next semester's classes. She deleted it.

The second was from Justin, confirming their next planned study session. She ignored it.

The third...was from Bethany. She reluctantly opened it.

 _Did you get your grade back for the Kira assignment?_ Read the first text. Then, under it: _Hope you're having fun (;._

Serendipity rolled her eyes. Leave it to Bethany to remind her about school when she was at a party.

She composed a quick reply.

 _I am having fun._ A half-truth. _and, I didn't- what did you get?_ A lie.

After sending the message, Serendipity returned her phone to her clutch. A small lie really...she wanted to know Bethany's grade before the other girl judged her own. It wasn't her best grade after all...and she had an inkling of an idea why.

 _Needs more support._ Professor Dawes had written in unforgiving red ink under her paper. Her very _well researched_ paper. More support for Kira, he meant.

Her elevated buzz had worn off...and the negative emotions were back. She was back at square one.

After her bathroom quest and unanticipated rendezvous with Light Yagami in the hallway, this evening was starting to feel last longer than it had felt before. Her excitement and naive anticipation had disappeared with the sight of the Kira fanatics...and now...all she wanted to do was go home. If the wine from before had given her any sort of buzz, she was definitely sober now. The illusion cracked, the spell broken. Sure, the glitz and glam was fun- sure the masks were cool- sure, the food was amazing... but in the end, it was just about Kira. That was what all it came back to. Kira.

 _Kira. Kira. Kira._

 _Kira_ , who her father was obsessed with. _Kira,_ who her peers adored. _Kira,_ who was the sole reason for this event. _Kira,_ who she couldn't escape from.

If she ever met Kira, she'd have a few choice words for him or her.

...If only she knew she'd just met him.

Serendipity opened the stall and ripped the mask off of her face. A very different reflection stared back at her than from hours prior. Her eyes, lined by the eyeliner and generously-applied eyeshadow, were bloodshot. Her lips, previously brightened by the bright crimson lipstick were beginning to crack. The overall pallor of her skin was starting to appear pale, not helped by the unflattering incandescent bulbs fixed above the bathroom mirror. Here she was, Cinderella- and the clock had struck midnight and she was becoming a nobody once again. Funny how a few hours made such a difference.

 _Tired._ She was tired again...and this night would prove to be exhausting.

 _Remember this night will all be over in a few hours._ She reminded herself. _Then you can jump in bed and everything will be alright._

All she had left to do was sit pretty for a few more hours and listen to speeches...and she was a college student, that was what she did every day in her lectures anyway; pretend to listen- go even when she felt like staying in bed all day. The next few hours would be no different.

No different. No different at all.

Sluggishly, Serendipity washed her hands, taking her sweet time to do so. After towel-drying her hands, she did one last inspection in the mirror before inevitably leaving.

Mask. _Check._ No rogue toilet paper stuck to her shoes? _Check._ No lipstick stains on her teeth? _Check._

She fake smiled wide into the mirror and patted her cheeks. She could do this. She could.

 _Here we go._

Heels resounding off the bathroom tiles, she crossed the room-but once her hand grasped the knob of the bathroom door-

 _ **BOOM!**_ The entire building shook, compromising her balance in the process. She stumbled out of the bathroom, adrenaline starting to pump wildly through her veins.

The few people lingering in the hall wore bemused expressions that mirrored her own. Furrowed brows- downturned lips; they all exchanged bewildered glances with one another, all trying to process what had just occurred. Nobody voiced an answer. General confusion.

 _What the-_

 **BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!**

Somebody screamed. That's when she officially started to panic.

 _That sounds like..._

Another bang, this time the distant sound of glass breaking. A brief image of her standing next to Light came back to mind. Of the huge crowds outside- of their previous sinister aura- of the only barricade separating them from the building...a barricade that could have easily been overpowered if the crowd was fanatical enough.

And they were, fanatical enough.

A disgusting, nauseous feeling gripped her stomach. She realized she was hyperventilating. And suddenly, a realization.

 _somebody is trying to get in..._ no, _somebody is in._

And then, the sprinklers went off...and chaos truly unfolded.

...

Her phone lost somewhere. Her heels in her arms as she tried to get anywhere in her drenched clothing on the doused, tiled floors.

Screams of terror from the attendees, a flurry of faces and bodies running amuck in the building- Kira supporters and opponents alike.

She started to run towards to the hall for her parents, but a tight grip on her arm stopped her. A stranger, a man- dark hair plastered to his forehead, dripping with water. Her hair was sopping wet too- and so was her dress- and everything. The tables, the food, the centerpieces, and the jagged shards of expensive crystal glass on the banquet floor. Everything was coated in terror.

"Are you crazy!" He yelled, "You have to get out of here!" And then, he left her in the sea of frantic people, sprinting to some unseen direction- away from the voices that were drawing ever so close.

He was right, he was absolutely right. She didn't have time to time, only to act.

So she did the only thing she knew how to do, and ran- down the hallways, down the fire escape stairs, down the security checkpoint. Fear kept her moving, fear for her own safety and wellbeing as well as her parents- her parents _oh god where were they?_ and everyone else. She hastened down another flight of stairs like lightning, almost tripping over her dress on the way down. She wanted to cry, wanted to rewind to before the conference- before the chaos. She wanted to be back in Profesor Dawe's class with Bethany doing another stupid debate. She wanted to be anything but here. Anything but here...

Rounding the corner of another stairwell, Serendipity spotted an EXIT sign, and almost sobbed in relief- but she couldn't give in to emotions just now. Not yet.

She ran, she sprinted, she burst through the door, and immediately was doused in the freedom of the chilly, November air. Goosebumps rose, it was salvation..for a moment.

Until her eyes registered the Kira fanatics across the street.

And then...a motorcycle, out of nowhere, barreling towards her.

She shut her eyes and braced herself, preparing for the inevitable hit.

 _I don't want to die._

...

A screeching noise, and then, a sudden stop.

"Get on!" A stranger's voice barked- urgent and breathless.

 _What?_

 _I'm not dead..._

This night was starting to give her emotional whiplash.

She opened her eyes. In front of her stood a man, a teenager, someone dressed in all leather on a motorcycle- one arm outstretched dubiously in front of them as if beckoning her to come with. Their face, obscured by a dark helmet. She smelled gasoline and heard the revving of the engine. No, this was not a hallucination.

The black-clad figure let out a frustrated grunt.

"Are you deaf, I said get on!"

She was conflicted momentarily- Leaving with a stranger was definitely out of character for her, but the sound of rioting behind left her with a split second decision to make. She couldn't entertain thoughts of trust or propriety- the only sentence that her mind screamed back at her was. _GO!_

The explosion that sounded behind them ceased her frantic thoughts.

Without hesitation, she took the stranger's leather-gloved hand and jumped on the motorcycle, clinging onto the stranger as if he were here the only lifeline, which, he was. His leather jacket was cool to the touch, but compared to her soaked state, he was incredibly warm. If not for her terror she might have considered their close proximity intimate.

"Hang on." Was all he said before revving the engine, and taking off down the street.

Hair whipping in all directions, Serendipity got one last view of the ISFKI building before they disappeared into the night.

The facade of the building, previously enchanting, looked like a nuclear fallout zone. The walls of the building were being graffitied by rioters, who continued to break more windows with the metal barricades that had intended to keep them out. Somewhere, somebody had set the trashcan on fire, and she could've sworn she saw a...molotov cocktail in a woman's hand.

Anarchy. Pure Anarchy.

it was like a scene from a Quentin Tarintino movie, except she wasn't viewing it with a detached sense of awe through a movie screen.

"Step on it." She hissed.

Although she didn't know it at the time, from inside the hood of his motorcycle helmet, Mello was grinning.

* * *

 _ **~oOo~**_

* * *

 ** _Writing this chapter was pretty fun. See y'all next update._**


	4. Chapter 4

_Cold._ She was cold.

Goosebumps rose as wind lashed her exposed skin that the miniscule sleeves of her dress failed to provide refuge to. She was shivering; her wet hair whipped around her head as the revving of the motorcycle drowned the soundscape of the city. She vaguely registered sirens, the telltale red/blue lights of police cruisers illuminating the somber city streets were blurs to the speed they were going. Her eyes stung without the protection of a helmet; her fingers were ice against the mysterious man's leather jacket. The protestors voices' had started to fade into an ominous hum in the soundscape of the street.

 _Good._ It meant they were getting away. _Far_ away. Even better.

This night was a nightmare. A scene straight out of a thriller, or perhaps, a superhero movie based on the random savior who had swooped in to save her at her darkest hour as a sheep surrounded by a pack of wolves. So close, they were _so_ close- she was _so_ close to getting hurt. Their faces had been frightening from the window but up close it was all hate. _Empty. Angry. Evil._

The wind roared through her ears. Her adrenaline was starting to fade, and she suddenly felt so very tired- but she couldn't give into exhaustion yet, she still had to hold on to the motorcycle, to _escape,_ to _h_ _im-_ whoever he was.

 _He_ hadn't said anything else yet. Not since she'd got on. From her view, all she could see was the slightest trace of a jawline through the thick screen of his helmet. Her savior was a mystery, an enigma. She half expected him to say he was her friendly neighborhood Spiderman at this point, it was New York City after all- and after tonight's events, she was willing to accept that anything could be possible- like random men on motorcycles swooping in at the eleventh hour.

He made a sudden sharp right turn, weaving in and out of the gridlocks of city traffic. Her grip tightened on his midsection. She was almost certain he'd run a red light or two. She didn't know where they were going- she didn't care at this point. Just as long as it was it was _far,_ far away. Maybe she could somehow get to her dorm from there, wherever they were going- and then she could call her parents- and then this nightmare could be over.

With this thought, she tried to pay attention to the signs of the streets and avenues they were driving on to gain some kind of insight on their location- but realized she couldn't recognize anything. Her college was uptown, the ISKFI meeting had been somewhere on a street in the 50s. From the looks of it, it seemed like they were driving downtown, _way_ downtown. No, that was not good. She needed to go back-back to whatever was left of her normal life.

 _43rd, 42nd, 41st..._

"Hey," She tried to yell but from the lack of response, he hadn't heard. "Hey!" louder. "Where are we going?"

She couldn't take a train back to her dorm, she realized. She had no money for a MetroCard. Her purse was somewhere back in the building lost with her phone. If he let her off of the bike her only option would be to walk back.

He hadn't answered the question.

"Hey!" even louder. Her voice was hoarse. He seemed to hear, but barely acknowledged her inquiries. "Where are you taking me. I- I need to go back."

Again silence. Then, the revving of the motorcycle. They were _accelerating._

 _39th street._ He made another sharp turn.

 _What the-_ her adrenaline was starting to wear off. Her senses were becoming more acute and aware. Suddenly the trepidation was back.

 _Why won't he answer me?_

Wait.

The logical side of her brain started screaming at her.

She had gotten on a motorcycle, with a total stranger, dressed in black.

 _Wait_.

They were practically flying down the street at this point, no real traffic apparent in this area. _Faster,_ they were going sixty miles per hour at the least on _city blocks._ His driving was bold and confident, he _knew_ what he was doing, where he was headed. _Where_ were they headed?

 _Avenue- Avenue- Avenue-_ She could barely grasp letters from the signs at the speed they were going.

Why was there so little traffic?

 _ **Wait**_.

She had gotten on a black-leather-clad stranger's motorcycle at practically midnight in the middle of a crowd of _Kira Fanatics_ who had broken through NYPD barricades. On streets that had been _blocked._

 _ **Who?**_

 _Why had he even been there in the first place?_

"Where...?"

Serendipity knew where they were now, she realized. She recognized it almost instantly, and too late. Her panic returned as they descended under the roof of a tunnel, their path cast in an orange glow from the lamps that were evenly spaced along tiles of the walls. He didn't even need to decelerate, it was easy to drive at this time of night due to the lack of commuters that usually passed through _leaving_ the city after a long shift at work.

They were, in fact, driving on the Lincoln Tunnel, and the tiles on the wall indicated they had just entered New Jersey.

His lack of response told her all that she needed to know at that moment- a plain revelation.

She had made a _grave_ mistake.

Her stomach: churning. Her fingers: shaking like autumn leaves. Her mind: grasping at straws for answers that would not present.

The figure in front of her, the man she was clinging to for dear life, her _savior-_ was not a savior at all. He was the Big Bad Wolf goading her into a sense of false security, and she was the girl dressed in an onyx charmeuse dress stupid enough to believe it.

Hyperventilating. The fear was stifling. Asphyxiating.

 _What have I gotten into?!_

She was cold before, but now- _-freezing._

They were out of the tunnel now. Behind, the glimmering lights and sky-scraper silhouettes of the city begun to fade. No, she wouldn't be getting back to her dorm tonight- she wouldn't be getting back anytime soon it seemed. She was at the mercy of a most unsavory type of uncertainty- and it was stealing her away into the night.

She couldn't scream. She couldn't run. She could do nothing but continue to grasp unto him, lest she wished to become nothing more than a mangled corpse on the pavement. So, she stayed still. She tried to disappear. Pretend she was somewhere else.

Physically, and literally _frozen._

He continued to drive.

* * *

Matt was, for the lack of a better word: _bored._

He had already finished all of the levels on his new game -twice- and playing chess on his computer would prove to be a fruitless endeavor as he could already beat the computer grandmaster without much effort. Watching the security cameras set up on the wall that monitored the streets below would only prove to be a monotonous task, and being an insomniac, he couldn't fall asleep to cure his boredom even if he wanted to, which he didn't -given that Mello hadn't arrived back yet.

A sigh. Just another hectic night that was normal in their unorthodox lives, he reflected. Just another day.

Three years ago, it too was just another day when Mello charged into his room without so much as a knock, declaring that L- their notorious mentor- was dead, and that he hadn't named a successor. Matt barely had time to digest the information- but there was one thing he knew in that moment...and it was that _everything_ was going to change. So, when Mello asked right then-and-there for Matt to follow him, to leave Whammy's House, he did not hesitate to say yes; if not for the prospects of catching Kira for themselves, then at least for the change of scenery.

He had been so _bored_ at Whammy's House. Now, he was applying his skills every day for various purposes, although occasionally there were bouts of monotony, like now. For the past twenty-four hours he had been stuck with the duty of preparing their current, _new_ hideout-, a rental space amongst many in the run-down factories of the once industrial Brick City of Newark. It was a far cry the hotel rooms they usually frequented, with its ancient wallpaper that peeled off the walls, water damaged ceilings, and cement floors- but, it was low-key, isolated but still in close proximity to the city, and most of all, it was _abandoned,_ save for the occasional mouse or two.

Therefore, it was perfect for hiding out, and _h_ _iding_ certain people. Certain people like an influential senator's daughter. A senator who, with the right motivations like..the kidnap of his daughter for example, could give them very useful information regarding Kira Investigations...and ransom money, which was always a useful commodity in their line of work. The International Summit for Kira Investigations had just turned out to be a convenient venue for their abduction plans. When Matt had uncovered the RSVP list (a task that had proved WAY too easy for such a private event) and confirmed their target to be in attendance, it was just a matter of logistics from then on. Mello would go in incognito and extract _her_ , and the whole world would just assume it was the work of Kira fanatics.

The _her_ in question was Serendipity Jones- daughter of outspoken Kira-opposing Senator Jones of Pennsylvania. What Matt had uncovered when investigating her was the simple life of an American college student. Sociable but reserved, her social media revealed pictures of study sessions with friends, statuses on drowning in homework assignments, and the occasional link to a funny video. Further digging revealed pristine report cards, and the occasional mention as a footnote in articles about her father. In short, Serendipity Jones was normal, and almost painfully so. The only noteworthy thing about her besides her unorthodox name was the association to her father, and that made her the perfect candidate for their plan.

Poor girl would have never seen it coming.

She was just another step to the means to an end that was catching Kira and to Mello- proving he was number one.

Sure, it could be said that their methods were unethical, but even L had broken rules. If Kira wanted to play dirty, so would they. Matt honestly was just there for the adventure.

Matt reached into his pockets and drew a cigarette to his lips. Lighting one up, he inhaled deeply and let the familiar sensation calm his nerves.

"Those things will kill you." Mello had once said when he'd first taken up the habit. Matt had laughed at the time. Mello saying that was like the pot calling the kettle black; the blonde was undoubtedly the more impulsive of the two. "Well, at least I know what'll kill me." He had joked back. Mello just had grinned and snapped a bit of chocolate into his mouth.

Funny, how all the kids at Whammy's House had their choice vices. Him, cigarettes- Mello, chocolate- and Near, the endless supply of puzzles. What was Near doing now? He wondered. Probably stacking yet _another_ card tower...

 _Exhale._ Smoke passed through his lips creating a trail that reached the ceiling.

He checked his watch, and a frown tugged on his lips.

Mello was _late._

Not too much to garner concern...but still. Matt hardly liked waiting.

Collapsing into dingy couch set up in the middle of the room, Matt, one hand still on his cigarette and the other on a remote fished from in-between the cushions, turned on the television he'd just set up (an impressive feat giving the conditions of the building.) He surfed the channels for a bit before settling on a local news channel. What he did not expect, however, was the solemn faces of local newscasters that greeted him.

 _This is News 12 New Jersey, now the EVENING EDITION."_ The presenter on the screen is a woman, tone ever so professional. "Breaking _News coming to you from the Big Apple, Protests turn violent at the International Summit for Kira Investigations. Brian Wells is on the scene coming to us live from Manhattan."_ A portly man came to view on the screen, eyes masked by thick, wire-framed glasses. Droplets of nervous sweat shone from his forehead. Frenzied Kira fanatics could be seen in the background of the shot. The footage is shaky.

 _Huh. Well that might complicate things._

"It's a crazy scene here tonight in Manhattan," the newscaster says into his microphone, gesturing to the chaos around him. The camera pans around the street of burning trash cans and soiled demonstration signs. "As you can see on this street there are more than a few hundred protestors still here on sight where the ISFKI meeting was stormed by Kira protestors only an hour ago." He starts to walk down the street, glancing nervously to his cameraman. "Now, we couldn't get to the building as the NYPD have set up a new perimeter around the area to protect attendees of the summit, but we have seen some fleeing from the building. Many have taken shelter in the various business in this area but it is still unclear how many are injured after the storming on the building."

 _And that would explain why he's late._ Matt thought. A protest out-of-hand. _Of course._

Somewhere, he hears the telltale buzz of his phone. The broadcast fades into white noise and he searches in the cushions before retrieving it.

"-From what we know, no deaths have been confirmed. So far, the President and the NYPD have issued official statements denouncing the attacks-"

An unknown number- Mello no doubt.

"-Not unsimilar to the Kira demonstrations seen on campuses across the country-"

Unlocking the screen, a one-worded text stared back.

"More information to come soon..."

 ** _Close._**

Monosyllabic. Straightforward. Definitely Mello.

"-If you have any information contact-"

Matt muted the television audio and extinguished his cigarette.

* * *

He was slowing down, Serendipity noticed. They were still on the highway. He was pulling unto the left shoulder.

In the distance they had covered from the Lincoln Tunnel to now, Serendipity had a lot of time to think- and she had aptly concluded that the odds were not stacked in her favor. He outmatched her in manpower, and her outfit in itself put her at a disadvantage.

It was only a matter of time before something happened.

What was he going to do to her? She wondered frantically as he applied the brakes. Looking around there was nothing but empty highway. He would have no trouble outrunning her if she even dared to escape.

 _Oh God._ Heart pounding _. Oh God. Oh God._

She released her vice grip on his torso as they came to a complete stop. As he dismounted the bike, a sudden chill ran up her spine at their lack of contact- he had been a source of warmth- but she welcomed the chill if it meant putting some distance between.

Vigilantly, Serendipity watched him. Now that they were stopped she could truly observe him.

Only feet away, _he_ fumbled around his pockets and produced a phone- similar to the one she'd just lost. He furiously typed into the keypad, sending a message to someone it appeared. Helmet still on, his features were still obscured- but his posture exuded a casual demeanor. He was, not the least bit uneasy, she discerned by his relaxed shoulders. Something told her this was not his first rodeo.

 _Criminal._

Head-to-toe leather, pants, jacket, gloves- his entire outfit screamed _danger._ How had she been so blind?

-And he was returning, she noticed.

From inside his helmet, she imagined, he was also looking at her. With each measured step closer to the motorcycle, her heart skipped beats in anticipation. His short walk seemed to last a lifetime- and then, at an arm's length away he stopped, and _stared-_ like he was considering her, or perhaps, what to _do_ to her.

The black tint of his visor was more than unnerving.

Again, he reached into his pockets- and for what? She thought. _A knife? A gun? A rope?_

Thousands of possibilities came to mind, each more daunting than the last.

She flinched back and he raised his arm.

And then... a grunt.

"Put this on." Serendipity barely registered the demand as something was suddenly shoved into her arms.

She blinked owlishly and looked down. A strip of black fabric. Thick fabric.

"A blindfold." He supplied the answer, impatience evident in his tone. "Put it on."

 _Oh... **Oh.**_

Her hesitation was too long for him it seemed as he ripped the cloth out of her hand and materialized behind her within seconds.

A rough hand grasped her chin. She could smell the leather. And then, air on her face. He had ripped off her mask from the party- she didn't even realize she was still wearing it. And then within seconds, _black._

Frozen, and now, _blinded._

No, this was not good at all.

He had gotten back unto the motorcycle.

Now, she could only register his voice.

"Brace yourself." He mockingly remarked. She could envision the smirk behind his mask. Something about that voice was oddly familiar- but she couldn't place it.

The motor roared to life again.

Tentatively, _defensively_ she reached her arms around him _again._

 _Checkmate._ Mello thought. _This was too easy._

He drove even faster.

* * *

Matt turned off the television. There was a knock at the door.

He crossed the room with quick steps before throwing it open and grinned wide at the two figures standing in the doorway.

"Took you long enough."

* * *

 ** _~oOo~_**

* * *

 ** _So yeah, a transition chapter. Hope you liked it!- and if you wouldn't mind dropping a review it would be greatly appreciated._**

 ** _Until next update,_**

 ** _-Dreamwithinadream262_**


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